Cigarette case



May 5, 1942. J. J. COBBS ET AL CIGARETTE CASE Filed Nov. 7, 1938 m M W d SEPH CHAP A Patented May 5, 1942 CIGARETTE CASE John James Cobbs, Roanoke, and Joseph Chapman, Catawba, Va., assignors of two-thirds to John James Cobbs, Roanoke, Va., and one-third to Joseph Chapman, Catawba, Va.

Application November 7, 1938, Serial No. 239,374

4 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a cigarette case and deals particularly with that type of structure which may be conveniently carried within the pocket and wherein the delivery of the case contents may be had in accordance with the desires of the user.

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of a case or holder for receiving a plurality of cigarettes or the like and for dispensing them, in keeping with the desires of the user, in single fashion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a discharge outlet which is normally retained in closed position but may be readily actuated or moved to singly deliver or expose a cigarette by a simple manipulation of the discharge outlet on the application of pressure thereto by the user.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pivoted discharge outlet the actuation of which is attended by a simple pressure of the finger of the user, which causes the outlet to swing upon its pivots and present the cigarettes single for removal.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means within the case to prevent the discharge of more than one cigarette at a time. p

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a closure or lid for the case, which may be yieldingly held or retained in either its extreme open or closed positions.

These and other objects of the invention will present themselves when the following specification is read in connection with the attached drawing, wherein like numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawing, the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, but it should be understood that certain variations or changes may be resorted to without departing from or sacrificing any of the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a front view of the cigarette case or container with a small section broken away to more clearly illustrate the interior of the construction;

Figure 2 is an end view of the case showing the dispensing member in closed position;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the container in its closed position;

Figure 5 is also a longitudinal sectional view of the container, but in inverted position and showing the dispensing member in open or delivering position;

Figure 6 is an end View of the dispensing element as shown in the preceding views, with a portion thereof broken away to more clearly set forth the construction;

Figure 7 is a front view of the dispensing element;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the dispensing element or member;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional View of a dispensing member of slightly difierent form; and Figure 10 is a plan view of a portion of the structure of the dispenser shown in Figure 9.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, I designates a casing or container of generally rectangular formation, but other shapes or configurations may be used, if desired. The container I has a cover 2 pivotally connected thereto, as suggested by the hinges 3, 3. The cover is preferably held in its closed position through the use of coiled springs 4, 4 which are associated with the hinged joint of said cover.

Secured to the interior surface of the bottom wall of the casing and projecting upwardly therefrom is a spring blade 5. The cover 2 is provided with a projecting lip 6 which is adapted to wipe against the blade 5 in the opening and closing movements of the cover. The purpose of this construction is primarily to hold the cover section in open position against the tension of the springs 4, 4 when the container is to be filled with cigarettes. This additional spring tension also tends to assist the cover springs 4, 4 in holding the cover 2 in its closed position.

The opposite end of the casing I has an opening 1 adapted to be normally covered by a pivoted dispensing member 8. This member 8 is pivotally connected to the casing I by means of a spring-tensioned hinge-joint 9 so that the dispensing member will always assume a closed position after the applied pressure on said member is released, It should also be noted that the dispensing member is so formed that when the same is in closed position it conforms to the 9 outer contour or curvature of the casing, thereby eliminating any projecting parts or portions which might accidentally catch into the clothes or pockets of the user. a

The dispensing member 8 is medially pivoted to the walls of the casing, thereby providing a forward portion I II with reduced side areas II, I I to permit the grasping or removal of the cigarette. The rear portion I2 of the dispensing member 8 provides the necessary exposed surface against which the pressure may be applied to swing the dispensing member on its pivots to dispense the goods.

In all of the forms disclosing the structure of the dispensing element, it will be noted that it is made of a single piece of material suitably folded to provide an interior shelf or pocket into which the cigarette will be delivered from the container and from which the cigarette will be removed when the dispensing element is swung on its pivots. In the forms shown in Figures 1 to 8, inclusive, this interior shelf or pocket is designated I3, and it will be seen that in Figure 5 when the dispensing member 8 is moved into dispensing position the cigarette will roll forwardly so that it may be readily grasped or picked up for removal. In the construction of the dispensing member 8 as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the interior pocket is eliminated, but the cigarette to be dispensed will be directed towards the forward portion of the bottom wall of the dispenser by the interiorly arranged directing wall I4.

In order to regulate the passing of the cigarettes from the container or casing I to the dispensing member 8 there is provided an in.ward' ly extending barrier or strip I5. This prevents the passage of more than one cigarette at a time.

Serious difficulty has always been encountered in this art due to the fact that when the dispensing element or member was moved to open or dispensing position the next cigarett would move into such a position as to block or interfere with the return of the dispenser to closed position. In the present case this is taken care of by the use of a plurality of spring strips I6, I6 which are securely fastened at one end to the back of the container or casing. The opposite ends of the spring strips I6, I6 projects slightly below and bears against the rear longitudinal edge of the pocket I3 in the dispensing member 8. The

' closed position of the dispensing member 8, as

shown in Figure 4, holds the spring strips against the back of th container and thereby allows free passage of a single cigarette into the dispensing element when the casing is inverted for dispensing purposes. As shown in Figure 5, the dispensing element is in open position and the spring strips I6, I6 are resting against the cross barrier I5. Th strips I6, I6 therefore hold the cigarettes above the area in which the dispensing element 8 swings. When the dispenser is moved to closed position the longitudinal edge of the pocket I3 will again contact the spring strip and cause them to assume a position against the rear wall of the container and therefore permit further feeding of the contents of the container or casing.

The forward and backward movements of the spring strips I6, l6 tend to cause a relative shifting of the cigarettes within the casing I and thereby agitate or disturb the cigarettes so as to prevent them from becoming packed or jambed within the casing I adjacent the outlet thereof. This movement of the cigarettes within the easing also enhances the feeding of the cigarettes from the casing to the dispenser whenever the latter is in its closed and cigarette-receiving position.

Briefly describing the operation of the device,

the'casing is-sup'plied-witha plurality'ofcig arettes and the cover moved to closed position, the casing is then held in the hand with the thumb overlying the top portion of the casing or container while the fingers extend along the rear surface thereof. In this position the rearwardly extending portion of the dispensing element is in close proximity to the tips of the fingers, and on pressure by the fingers being applied to this extended portion of the dispenser the same will swing on its pivot to singly present the cigarette and permit removal thereof. During this pivotal movement of the dispensing element the pressure on the spring strips is also relieved and this permits the strips to come to rest against the barrier or wall within the container. This prevents the further feeding of any cigarettes from the container to the dispensing element so long as the latter is in its open position. However, when the dispensing element is returned to closed position, these spring strips will be forced against the back of the container by the rear portion of the dispensing element and the next succeeding cigarette will be then fed into the dispenser.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a cigarette case comprising a container for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes, said container having opposed front and rear walls, a filling opening at one end thereof and a dispensing opening at the other end, a bafiie within the container adjacent the dispensing opening and projecting from the front wall towards the rear wall and terminating short thereof to limit the passage of the cigarettes in single order, a U-shaped dispenser pivotally supported on the container and covering the dispenser opening and adapted for pivotal engagement into an open position to singly present the cigarettes for removal, the upper rear edge of the U-shaped dispenser adapted to swing beneath the edge of the baffle when the dispenser is moved to open position, and means released .by the pivotal movement of the dispenser and coactive with the bafiie to prevent the passage of a cigarette past the bafiie when the dispenser is moved to open position. i

2. In a cigarette case comprising a container for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes, said container having opposed front and rear walls and a dispensing opening at one end thereof, a baffle positioned on the front wall adjacent the dispensing opening and projecting towards the rear wall but terminating short thereof to limit the passage of the cigarettes in single order, a U-shaped dispenser pivotally supported on the container below the baffle and adapted for pivotal movement into an open position to singly present the cigarettes for removal, the upper rear edge of the U-shaped dispenser being disposed beneath the edge of the bafiie when the dispenser is in open position, anda pair of spring blades secured at their upper ends to the rear wall of the container above the bafiie and having their lower ends free and extending below the edge of the bafile, the upper rear edge portion of the dispenser when in closed position contacting with the lower ends of the spring blades and holding them under restraint against the rear wall of the container to permit the passage of a cigarette from the baffle to the dispenser, and to release said blades and permit them to contact with the edge of the baffle to prevent the feeding of a cigarette past the baffle when the dispenser is swungto openposition.

3. In a cigarette case comprising a container for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes. means for singly presenting the cigarettes for removal, said means constituting a pivotally supported U-shaped member having substantially vertical front and rear walls and a bottom connecting wall, said member arranged to be moved into a predetermined open position when pressure is applied to the upper portion of the rear wall, and a receiving pocket arranged within the U-shaped member, said pocket having its forward wall angularly disposed relative to the forward vertical wall of the U-shaped member whereby each cigarette will roll towards the forward edge of the U-shaped member when said member is moved into predetermined open position.

4. In a cigarette case comprising a container for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes,

means for singly presenting the cigarettes for removal, said means constituting a pivotally supported dispensing member having substantially vertical front and rear walls and a bottom connecting wall, said member arranged to be moved into a predetermined open position when pressure is applied to the upper outer surface of the rear wall, and a receiving pocket arranged within the dispensing member, the front wall of said pocket being angularly disposed relative to the forward vertical Wall of the dispensing member and terminating short of the upper edge thereof whereby each cigarette will roll forward and come to rest between the forward edge of the pocket and the forward edge of the dispensing member when said member is moved into the predetermined open position. JOHN JAMES COBBS. JOSEPH CHAPMAN. 

